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t,fjiyj thn Ocptu of S^le. 





REPORT 



OF- 


X, W. N. ARMS 



HIS HAWAIIAN MAJESTY’S 

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Commissioner of Immigration 


Hawaiian Gazette Print. 






































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REPORT 

OF 

5 HIS EX. W. H. ARMSTRONG, 

HIS HAWAIIAN MAJESTY’S 

Commissionri' of Jtmuijptijm. 


\ 

To Hrs Ex. H. A. P. Carter, 

President of the Board of Immigration. 

Sir: —On tlie 14th of January last, I was instructed by you 
to investigate, in connection with His Majesty’s travel around 
the world, the subject of Immigration, and you directed my 
attention to the following points for careful observation: 

First— That of securing a class of immigrants who might 
become a desirable population for this Kingdom, and at the 
same time furnish the labor which is required. 

Second —That of correcting the disparity in the proportion 
of the sexes among the Hawaiian people. 

Third —That of securing a sufficient and reliable supply of 
laborers. 

Fourth —That of obtaining statistics and information on the 
subject of immigration. 

I do report as follows : 

I have visited Japan, China, the Malay Peninsula, the 
“ Straits Settlements,” the East Indies, some of the European 
countries—especially Portugal—and in each country have in¬ 
vestigated the subject of emigration to this Kingdom, both in 
its bearings on the question of labor and on the question of 



2 


population. The official position, which I held as a member 
of His Majesty’s suite, gave me excellent facilities in rapidly 
pursuing my investigations. It enabled me to obtain inter¬ 
views with persons in high authority, and to obtain access to 
records without delay. This was the case especially in India. 
The Government in Calcutta having been informed of His 
Majesty’s proposed visit, and his desire to obtain information 
on the subject of emigration without delay, made such arrange¬ 
ments that on His arrival the official papers w r ere placed before 
me for full examination, and the persons who were best able to 
give me reliable information were in attendance. So cordially 
and fully was this information given that my short stay in In¬ 
dia was sufficiently long to enable me to obtain the facts which 
mainly determine the question of immigration. 

I will consider the subject of East Indian or coolie labor 
first, because it has been more prominently before the Ha¬ 
waiian planters. 

I desire here to state that I concur fully in the views and 
sentiments presented by you in your reply, dated March 9, 
1881, to a “Memorial on East Indian Emigration,” excepting 
only the statement made by you that the Indian Government 
is opposed to emigration. Recent interveiws with that Gov¬ 
ernment convince me that they will not oppose it, if conducted 
under strict treaties and conventions. I believe that there 
has been, latterly, a change of opinion in this respect. In all 
other statements made in your reply I agree with you, and will 
avoid a repetition of the matters considered by you. 

Before reaching India I found that the subject of coolie 
labor was familiar to English statesmen in the East. In Sing¬ 
apore the subject presented a very interesting phase, owing 
to a difference of opinion between the Colonial Governor and 
the Secretary of State for India. Singapore is the leading 
one of the “Straits Settlements,” Sir Frederick Weld is the 
Governor. Adjoining this colony are several “Protected 
States, ’ i. e. States which allow, by convention, an English 
official to reside near its government and act as an “ adviser. 7 ’ 
It may be readily inferred that the “ advice ” of the Resident 
is regarded as a command. These “Protected States’ 7 are 


3 





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3 


sorely in need of laborers. With a view to obtaining Indian 
coolies the Governor of Singapore induced the Governor of 
Madras to send Mr. McGreggor, the Protector of Emigrants in 
the Madras Presidency, to these States with directions to 
fully investigate the subject of emigration. He did so, and 
made an elaborate report, urging the propriety, safety, and 
necessity of immigration. Upon this, the Governor of Singa¬ 
pore, Sir F. Weld, wrote to Lord Kimberly, Secretary of State 
for the Colonies, endorsing the views of Mr. McGreggor, and 
urging the great benefit which would arise to these States if 
immigration was allowed. He said, “ My opinion is that 
“ there is no reason why the interests and welfare of the In¬ 
dian emigrant should not be as well secured in the native 
“Protected States, under their present administration as 
“ within our own setlements.” Lord Kimberly, under date of 
November 20,1880, says: “ There is no doubt that the material 
“prosperity of the native States would be advanced by such 
“an increase in the supply of labor, as could be afforded by 
“ a systematic immigration of Indian coolies ; but looking to 
“ the serious difficulties in the way of securing proper treatment 
“of the coolies in the States which are not British territory, I 
“ do not feel justified in recommending to the Secretary of 
“ State for India that the experiment should be tried. 77 

You will therefore perceive that the views taken by the 
Colonial Department, and those taken by the Indian Depart¬ 
ment do not coincide. While passing by the Strait’s Settle¬ 
ments I met officials, and planters who were familiar with 
Indian coolie labor in the settlements, these coolies being 
generally “ free emigrants, 77 though there are many working 
under contract” and protected by British laws. The coolies 
do not understand the duties of the “protector.’ 7 They believe 
he is put in office to back them up in any complaint. The 
planters are dragged off to distant Courts on frivolous pre¬ 
tences, and they urge that they are at the mercy of a despot. 
But they accept the situation, as they can obtain labor from no 
other place. These planters generally hold the opinion that 
Chinese labor is much superior to Indian ; some say that “ one 
Chinaman is equal to three coolies.’ 7 But they are rather afraid 


4 


of tlie Chinese, because they refuse to make long contracts, 
and, moreover, are intractable. 

On my arrival in Calcutta, Mr. M. Macauley, one of the 
Secretaries of the Bengal Government, at once put his services 
at the disposal of His Majesty, and brought me in communi¬ 
cation with Dr. Grant, the authorized “Protector of Emigrants/’ 
under the Indian laws. It is the business of the Protector to 
see that the laws regarding emigration are enforced. Dr. 
Grant's experience covered every point on the subject of coolie 
emigration. His reports on this subject are of great value, 
clear and exhaustive. Both Mr. Macauley and Dr. Grant en¬ 
couraged, instead of discouraged, emigration to these Islands. 
But I was informed that no steps could be taken by us towards 
securing emigrants until we had entered into a “ convention ” 
with the Imperial Government in England, as the Indian Gov¬ 
ernment did notenter into direct relations with foreign govern¬ 
ments. On reaching England, I was promptly accorded an 
interview with Sir Louis Mallet, Under Secretary of State for 
India. He informed me that there was no objection to the 
emigration of coolies to the Hawaiian Islands, but that it 
would be necessary to enter into a “ convention on the sub¬ 
ject,” as other countries had done ; that in order to do so, laws 
should be passed by tlie Hawaiian Government similar to those 
passed by other countries ; that these laws would be submitted 
to the Indian Government, and, if regarded as satisfactory, a 
convention would be entered into. One of the permanent 
secretaries of the India office called my attention to the fact 
that the subject had already been discussed with you, when 
you represented our government at the Court of St. James, 
and that a similar statement had been made to vou ; but that 
no intimation had yet been made that such laws had been 
passed. On my suggesting that in view of the kind treatment 
accorded by us to emigrant laborers, such an elaborate con¬ 
vention might be dispensed with in our case, I was promptly 
informed that the necessity for such a convention was impera¬ 
tive ; that the Imperial Government did not consider this re¬ 
quirement harsh or unkind ; that unless there was such a con¬ 
vention and ‘‘protection” the most salutary laws might remain 


5 


without, force, and British subjects be made the objects of 
most inhuman treatment ; that if foreign countries wished to 
employ large numbers of British subjects, it was only reason¬ 
able that a British representative should be present to see that 
the laws were enforced. 

It will be evident to you that any modification, in our favor, 
of the requirements of the present conventions existing be¬ 
tween Great Britain and other countries, would be immediately 
followed by a demand for modification by other countries ; 
that the kind treatment now accorded to emigrants might not 
be continued ; that the Indian coolies are weak and ignorant, 
and are considered the “wards” of the British nation, and 
that the settled policy of a great and powerful nation will not 
be changed at the request of the Hawaiian Government. 
Moreover, the strict laws demanded by the Imperial Govern¬ 
ment, including the “protector” provisions, extend to the 
British Colonies, and any exception made in favor of the 
Hawaiian Government would be quite inconsistent. The 
Hawa ian Government makes no distinctions in favor of any 
nation, in the matter of native seamen, for it considers its laws 
on that subject just and reasonable. So the Imperial Gov¬ 
ernment considers the terms it exacts from foreign countries, 
as a condition of obtaining weak and ignorant British subjects, 
as just and reasonable. 

The East Indians as Laborers. 

There is a great difference of opinion on the value of Indian 
coolie labor ; but I believe the prevailing opinion is, that the 
Chinese are superior to Indians—at the same time this coolie 
labor is used with profit in many countries, and it might be 
used with profit here. All of the Chinese are not superior to 
all of the Indians ; but the emigrant laborers from China are 
rather superior to the emigrant laborers from India. This is 
owing to a difference in the social and religious thought of the 
two countries. The natives of the Coromandel coast, who do 
work on the plantations of the Malay Peninsula receive 
double the wages given to the Bengalese coolie in the same 


6 


place. But the native from Coromandel will not remain 
long in the Malay country. He returns home at the end of 
six months. It is so in Burmah, where thousands of coolies 
emigrate from India, work a few months and return home. 

The East Indians are not an emigrating people. They are 
not disposed to move from one part of India to another, or 
from India to foreign countries. Great efforts have been 
made to move them from crowded parts to the scantily settled 
portions, but with little effect. The tea planters in the dis¬ 
trict of Assam have great difficulty in getting laborers, and 
already find that the high cost of getting them is making, in 
many instances, the cultivation of the tea plant quite unprofit¬ 
able. The Indian prefers suffering and famine at home to a 
removal even to another part of India. (See Indian Famine 
Beport.) During the recent great and distressing famines 
no considerable numbers offered to leave, or were willing to 
leave, their homes. A few living near the seaports offered to 
emigrate. 

Across the Bay of Bengal is Burmah, one of the very richest 
of the Indian dependencies. The demand there for labor is 
very great, and the wages high. It is so scantily populated 
that ten millions of people could readily find support within 
its boundaries. But the Indian coolie, though fully protected, 
refuses to settle there, preferring rather to cross the Bay of 
Bengal, labor a few months, and return to India and live at 
home till his money is spent. The planters in the Malay Pe¬ 
ninsula are sorely pressed for labor in working the sugar, cof¬ 
fee and gambier plantations. So are the planters of Sumatra, 
and compararively high wages are offered, but the demand is 
scantily supplied. My own observations on this subject are 
confirmed by Mr. Collard in his report, published in the Ha¬ 
waiian Gazette , June 27,1881. The statistics published by the 
Indian Government for the year 1879, offer strong proof on 
this point. There are .nine foreign agencies for obtaining 
emigrants in India. These are located in Calcutta, and rep¬ 
resent Demarara, Trinidad, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, 
-Mauritius, Natal, Fiji, Surinam and Guadaloupe. Each agent, 
by the requirements of the Indian laws, must be a salaried 


7 


officer (Sec. 5). The agents employ “recruiters” to scour the 
country, and these are licensed by the Indian Government. 
During the year 1879-80 the 286 “recruiters’ 7 obtained 20,000 
persons who registered as emigrants in the different districts. 
Of these 20,000 only 18,000 came into the depots at Calcutta. 
Ten per centum abandoned their contracts. These 286 “re¬ 
cruiters” were paid $4 50 for every emigrant finally entered in 
the depot. The payment of this comparatively large sum 
shows the difficulties of obtaining emigrants. Although the 
agencies are located in Calcutta, the capital of the province 
of Bengal, which holds thirty millions of people, there were 
only three hundred and six (306) emigrants from that Province. 
Central India, comprising the great districts of Indore, May- 
pore, Jubblepore, Raypore, Rewah and Gwalior, furnished 
only one hundred and twenty altogether. Now here, in an 
Empire of two hundred and fifty millions of people, in perhaps 
the poorest country in the world, famine prevailing somewhere 
nearly every year, the rate of wages not reaching five cents a 
day in some places, the people must be solicited and begged to 
emigrate, and only 20,000 are obtained in one year from these 
millions. Moreover, the licenses of one-seventh part of the 
“ recruiters” were cancelled in this one year for false represent¬ 
ation to the proposed emigrant, showing that the recruiters re¬ 
sort to most questionable means to secure people. The coolie 
is unwilling to go. Miserable and starving as the poorest 
classes are, they are not greatly tempted by a rise in wages from 
4 to 24 cents per day. Experience shows that social, religious 
and financial reasons, by no means creditable to the coolie, are 
quite as influential as the prospect of increased wages. No 
Indian, as a rule, who has any “prospects” at home seems wil¬ 
ling to leave. Many who are sickly try emigration, but are 
refused. The returns to the Imperial Government from the 
Island of Jamaica show that the medical attendance on the 
coolie in that most healthy country, averages $12.50 per head 
per annum. During the year 1878-9, Demarara, Granada, and 
St. Lucia did not secure the small numher of emigrants they 
required, and during the year 1879-80 (the last year in which 
an official return was made), Demarara and Trinidad failed to 


8 


secure the few which they required. (See official report to the 
Indian Government.) At the same time Demarara is quite 
popular with the returning emigrants. It must be remembered 
that these foreign States are working for emigrants in India, 
with well constructed depots, and the business is managed by 
men highly paid, and who are experienced in all the best and 
most successful methods of inducing the people to leave home. 

As about 20,000 people do emigrate every year, the question 
arises, from what class do they come? If the people generally 
are not disposed to emigrate, is it not quite safe to conclude 
that those who do emigrate are not the most desirable ? Dr. 
Grant informed me that, as a rule, they are from the lowest, 
the most servile caste in India. 

With respect to the expenses connected with Indian emi¬ 
gration, the rates of wages allowed, the terms of service re¬ 
quired, I will hereafter present such detailed report as you 
may require. I will state, however, that in the competition 
for obtaining coolies, Surinam, for instance, requires only live 
days work in the week, seven hours each day, and gives a re¬ 
turn passage at the end of five years. The official returns from 
the Island of Jamaica show that the cost of securing the emi¬ 
grant, of defraying his passage to and fro, amounts to |280. 

East Indians as a Basis of Population. 

In considering this branch of the subject it would be neces¬ 
sary to enter into a most careful consideration of the moral, 
physical and intellectual condition of the class of East Indians 
from which the emigrants come. I assume that vou and those 
interested in this question are familiar with the literature on 
the subject. I shall, therefore, present only a few facts, which 
in my opinion should settle this question. The Hindoos are 
divided into castes. The lines between these castes are strictly 
drawn. Every Hindoo child is born in one or the other of them, 
and remains so for life. The higher castes hold the intelligence 
and wealth of the country. As you descend through the lower 
castes, wealth and intelligence decrease until the lowest is 
reached, which contains the ignorant and those with the least 


9 


moral and intellectual power. Ages of social, religious and 
political despotism have kept this lowest caste in such a mis¬ 
erable condition that that they have become the least valuable 
“ stock” in the Indian population. 

Now the majority of the emigrating Indians come from this 
class. Low as the Indians rank beside the European, the em¬ 
igrating Indian comes from the lowest class. No doubt some 
of the upper caste Hindoos do emigrate, but I am informed 
they are generally under a cloud. 

I do not believe that much can be said in favor of the moral 
condition of these Hindoos. Their religion consists in the 
worship of numerous hideous, and in many cases, grossly inde¬ 
cent looking idols. Monkeys are worshipped, and temples are 
constructed for, and are filled with, these Simian divinities. 
The people in great crowds worship them. I entered a Hindoo 
temple in Benares, the sacred city. Its dark recesses as well 
as the open spaces were filled with most hideous and 
grinning idols, made of wood and bronze. Before an altar 
the pavement was clotted with the blood of butchered goats. 
In the court-yard were several “sacred wells.” A crowd of men 
and women were drawing out and using the filthy water. Un¬ 
der the porticoes stood the “sacred” bulls and cows, standing 
and receiving the worship of the vast crowd of people who 
thronged the place, while women gathered “sacred” urine in 
cups. Eat, sleek Brahmin priests stood about receiving offer¬ 
ings of money. I do not believe that these religious rites are 
in advance of the ancient Hawaiian idolatry. If the Indians 
are to be taken as a basis of population in these Islands, they 
must be taken in their low intellectual and moral condition, 
and with all their revolting ceremonies. An attempt to build 
up a nation in these days with such material would not only be 
offensive to the civilized world, but would be even ludicrous. 
They know nothing of our political system, and would require 
years of careful instruction before they could understand it. 
As these people are protected by British laws in the exercise 
of their religious rites, however revolting they are, they would 
have to be protected here. 

It may be said that these people would be “absorbed” or 
2 


10 


“ assimilated ” here, and their heathenish practices would soon 
disappear. I do not know where the power of assimilation 
lies. Certainly not in the Hawaiian for it is generally admitted 
that he needs aid and support himself. Nor is there power in 
the foreign race, the European, to reconstruct the Hindoo until 
it has greatly increased its numbers. In the American States 
the great vigor of the Anglo-Saxon stock, and the large popu¬ 
lation, working through a long settled and well defined organ¬ 
ism, has assimilated, partially, the numerous emigrants from 
alien states, but it has not been without danger. Here there 
is little conservative power, and any large influx of foreigners 
of one race, would in time establish a controlling influence, 
which would necessarily modify and even revolutionize our 
political institutions. Especially would this be the case if the 
new population received the right of suffrage, and held a 
majority of votes. 

The character of the women who should emigrate is of the 
utmost importance. Now it would hardly be expected that 
the women of the class who do emigrate from India would be 
very desirable as the mothers of our future nation. Respect¬ 
able women of the Hindoo class do not appear in public, except¬ 
ing only those belonging to the menial class. Their religion 
forbids them to cross the seas, and the public exposure on 
shipboard would be deemed a gross act of indelicacy. The 
present emigration laws of India require forty -women to 
accompany every one hundred men. It does not require that 
marriage should exist. The “ recruiters ” meet with very great 
difficulty in obtaining the required number of women. In 
several instances the law was relaxed in order to permit a 
large number of men to leave. The late Protector of Emi¬ 
grants in India, says in his official report (1879): “The class 
“ of women willing to emigrate are young widows, married or 
“single women who have gone astray, and are therefore most 
“ anxious to avoid their homes and conceal their antecedents.’ 7 
Those familiar with Hindoo customs know that widows are 
outcasts, women who lead miserable lives, and are hardly tol¬ 
erated in Hindoo society. I asked the present Protector of 
Emigrants how many women out of the forty who emigrated 


11 


were decent or respectable women. He said “hardly ten.” 
While a few women do accompany their husbands, the larger 
number are recruited as single women, brought down to the 
depots and turned loose with the men, and herd together like 
cattle. It would hardly be possible to predict a very brilliant 
future for a population coming from such women. 

It appears, also, by the official reports in India, that next to 
the Hindoos, the Mohammedens rank next in numbers as 
emigrants. While their religious ceremonies are not as revolt¬ 
ing as those of the Hindoos, they are objectionable to us, 
inasmuch as polygamy is a strong feature in their social life. 
Besides this they are aggressive in their tendencies, and might 
as they are well united, make a dangerous element in the State. 
I repeatedly asked this question of Europeans who have long 
resided in India, “If a better class of Hindoos and Moham¬ 
medens should be willing to emigrate to a foreign country, aud 
they were frankly told that idol worship and polygamy would 
not be tolerated in the countries to which they proposed to 
go, what would be the effect ? ” I was told in reply that 
“ hardly one person would emigrate.” No doubt they might 
be seduced or trapped into emigrating; but any’ desirable 
scheme of populating the Islands must start with giving the 
proposed emigrant a correct statement of the political and 
social condition of the country which invites them. It is well 
known that the most extravagant inducements are now held 
out to invite emigration, one of the most common being that 
the coolie can marry a white woman with a large fortune. 

In addition to the above statements, I desire to copy an ex¬ 
tract from a document presented to the Governor in Chief of 
Jamaica, and by him submitted to the Imperial Government 
in England, being a part of the memorial of the North Corn¬ 
wall Association of Baptist Churches in the Island of Jamaica, 
representing sixteen congregations, numbering about 12,000 
persons. It says: “Your memorialists have repeatedly 
“ expressed and published their concurrence with the opinion 
“ of the Hon. C. C. Bravo, that before a country can receive 

general material benefit from the introduction of popula- 
< 4 tion, the bulk of the individuals emigrating to that country 


12 


“must have one or the other of the following qualifications: 
“ religious and moral education , industry , energy, enterprise, 
“manufacturing skill, educated intelligence, or money capital , and 
“ your memorialists positively affirm that the coolies who have 
“ been introduced year after year into these Islands do not 
“ fulfill any one of these important conditions.” These men 
were not speculating on what the coolie may be. They are 
men who are face to face with the coolie laborer. It would 
hardly be wise to cast aside this positive testimony, especially 
as it comes from men who from a religious standpoint have no 
selfish ends to serve. 

As you have not defined the term “population,” in your 
instructions, I have allowed myself some latitude in discussing 
the question. The standard by which the moral, intellectual, 
and physical character of the proposed population is to be 
determined has not been fixed. The geographical position of 
the Islands will place its population between two immense, 
energetic, and relentless civilizations, the American and the 
Chinese. It would be a political blunder to initiate the 
growth of a new people here, which cannot hold their own 
in every way against these forces pushing hard from the East 
and the West. No nation came out of barbarism with less 
friction than the Hawaiian, no people ever received such 
tender care from the fierce, powerful and often brutal races 
which now mainly rule the world. But in spite of giving it 
the best political wisdom of the world, and in spite of the 
most intelligent Christian attention and watchfulness the race 
feels itself in a hard struggle for existence. To put beside 
this race another that cannot hold its own, would be to sin 
against light, and would involve those who did it in a gross 
blunder. Only those should become the basis of population 
here, who are, or may become capable of fronting and stand¬ 
ing effectually before the stronger races which are now here. 
With this standard before us, and after reviewing the facts 
bearing on the East Indian emigration, I do not hesitate to 
report that the East Indians are not suitable or desirable as 
emigrants. 


13 


The Japanese. 

The Japanese are not an emigrating race. Although Japan 
is nearer to California than China, and the Japanese not only 
have none of the prejudices against foreigners which the 
Chinese have ; but also have a great admiration and respect 
for them, there is still no disposition to venture into Califor¬ 
nia, or other States in large numbers. Nor is it from want of 
knowledge of the opportunities offered in foreign countries. 
The high rates of wages paid in California, and in Australia 
are well known to them. The people make no effort to emi¬ 
grate. Japan is not over-populated, only one-tenth of the soil 
is under cultivation. On the island of Yezzo are vast tracts 
of land lying idle. There is a Colonial Department in the 
Japanese Government, and considerable inducements are 
offered to people living in the more crowded parts to move 
upon these waste lands ; but, so far, there has been little suc¬ 
cess in getting emigrants. The Japanese are not a thrifty 
people. In spite of the fine climate and rich soil they are 
poor. No doubt that political conditions have had much to 
do with their poverty ; but it still remains that they are not a 
thriving people, in spite of the great resources of the country. 
Dr. J. C. Hepburn, now and for many years a resident mis¬ 
sionary in Yokohama, and the author of the English Japanese 
dictionary, told me that he preferred and employed Chinese 
labor. He said that there were industrious Japanese, but as a 
rule they were not; that the people were content with rice 
and fish, and did not show the energy of Chinese. My own 
observation showed me that the Chinese were entering the 
country, and were showing themselves superior to the natives 
in the business of merchandizing. No doubt as gardeners the 
Japanese rank high. I do not say the laborers would not 
meet the wishes of our planters, but I believe they are not 
equal to laborers from other races. Morality is low through¬ 
out Japan, and perhaps much lower than in China or the 
East Indies. White observers describe it as very low. I do 
not believe that their opinions are altogether trustworthy. 
The last census returns in Japan show that the males outnum- 


14 


ber the females by about five thousand. It is impossible to 
fortell what a well-organized scheme for immigration to these 
Islands might accomplish. While the opinions of foreigners 
resident in Japan is against it, and the high officials of the 
Empire, though not opposed to it, believe it cannot succeed, 
it is still possible that with great care, energy, tact, a consider¬ 
able number of emigrants might be obtained. But it must be 
remembered that there is really little more pressure on the 
Japanese to leave Japan, than there is upon Hawaiians to 
leave these Islands and emigrate to Peru. If a Japanese 
wishes to obtain land he can get it. His motive for going 
abroad would not be that which comes from great need, but 
rather the desire to get money rapidly and return home to 
spend it. According to the official report of Consul General 
Yan Buren the average rate of wages paid to the agricultural 
laborer is $4.50 per month. 

Chinese Immigration. 

Under the present circumstances I will not consider this 
branch of the subject, but will, hereafter, make a separate 

report upon it. 

Malay Immigration. 

Singapore, at the southern extremity of the Malay Peninsula, 
affords the best advantages for studying this branch of the 
subject. In 1819 this place was a village, but it has since be¬ 
come a colony of about 140,000 inhabitants. It has afforded 
the Malay race every chance to show its character, both as 
regards labor, and fitness for civilized society. The peop'e of 
that race meet at this place, coming from the Peninsula country 
on the north and the great Islands on the south and west. Up to 
the present time this race has made no mark in the colony. 
Every opportunity has been given it to make a permanent 
settlement there, but it has neither the thrift or energy to 
establish itself as a social, financial, or political force. In 
the colony the “Klings” from India take its place as 
farmers, while the Malays do some business as petty traders, 
and make good servants in the care of horses; as a rule they 


15 


give way to the Chinese in all occupations requiring thrifty 
habits and steady industry. Throughout the Malay Peninsula, 
in Java and Sumatra, laborers are needed, but the Malays do 
not supply the demand. The Maharajah of Johore, one of the 
Malay States adjoining Singapore, has lately undertaken to 
cultivate coflee and gambier. He informed me that his own 
people were too idle and thriftless to be depended upon, and 
he was therefore looking to China and the East Indies for 
laborers. It was in part in behalf of this sovereign, that the 
Governor of Singapore made application to the colonial office 
for Indian coolies, and was refused. It is well known that the 
Dutch authorities will not permit emigration from their own 
vast possessions. There is a vast amount of land lying idle 
in the countries inhabited by the Malays. If the people of 
this race will not build themselves up in communities while 
under the protection of the British flag, or will not supply 
the labor demand in their own States, it would be idle for us 
to hope that they might become valuable laborers or citizens 
of these Islands. If the planters of the Malay States are looking 
to India and China for laborers, it is id e for us to be looking to 
the same Malay States for our laborers. 

Portuguese Immigration. 

I will not consider the character of the Portuguese emigrant, 
for the Hawaiian planters have already had full opportunities 
to judge of the fitness of this race, both as regards labor and 
population. While in Lisbon I obtained much information 
regarding the emigrants from the Island of St. Michaels. Mr. 
Seemam, Vice-Consul for the United States, came especially 
from that Island to meet His Majesty, and as he has acted for 
some time as the agent of Mr. Hoffnung of London, in pro¬ 
curing emigrants, his knowledge was accurate and interesting. 
The number of people on the Island is about 160,000. For 
several, I think five years, the orange has failed owing to a 
blight upon the trees. Besides this the increasing orange 
crop of the Mediterranean has brought about low prices, con¬ 
sequently the people are in distress, and are now willing to 
leave their homes. As a rule they prefer to go to Brazil. 
They like its climate and their friends are there. But they 


16 


cannot pay the passage money, and tlie Brazilian planters are 
not in need of laborers at present. The payment of passage 
by the Hawaiian Government is the inducement to enter on a 
long voyage to these Islands. While the inhabitants hear 
favorable reports from their friends here, I do not think they 
would be greatly disposed to follow them, if they could find 
labor nearer home. Limitations upon the number of children 
retards this emigration. Married men only can leave freely. 
The unmarried only after a term of military service. The long 
contract system of labor is not popular. It looks to them like a 
species of slavery. But they accept it. Probably a superior 
class to that now emigrating would leave if there was more free¬ 
dom allowed in making labor contracts on arrival here. The 
Portuguese Government is encouraging emigration to its settle¬ 
ments on the African coast. At the present moment a large 
immigration may be obtained from the island of St. Michaels and 
elsewhere; but it may be terminated instantly by order of the 
Portuguese Government. The emigration laws of Portugal are 
very strict, and any vigorous enforcement of them would em¬ 
barrass the immigration. It is most desirable that arrangements 
be made as quickly as possible with a view to placing this business 
on a more satisfactory foundation. If these Portuguese are de¬ 
sirable it is of the utmost importance that as many as possible be 
obtained at once, and before unforeseen events shall stop them from 
immigrating. The fact that no treaty exists between this country 
and Portugal ; that the emigration laws of that country, if en¬ 
forced, might abruptly terminate emigration ; that this Kingdom 

is at present entirely dependent upon this immigration for labor¬ 
ers who bring women with them ; that the Government has no 

representative there, of high diplomatic standing, who is able to 
meet emergencies which may arise, either from the Portuguese 
authorities or from the emigrants themselves; that the whole 
business is in the hands of contractors, who may abandon it any 
moment if interfered with; and that every possible precaution 
should be adopted to forestall any difficulties, urge me to impress 
upon the Government the necessity of sending some competent 
person, without delay, to that country for the purpose of estab- 


17 


lishing permanent diplomatic relations, and at the same time of 
putting the immigration business on a more satisfactory basis. 
Other and important reasons I have communicated directly to the 
Minister of Foreign Alfairs. 

General European Immigration. 

While in England and ou the continent I investigated this sub¬ 
ject, and came to the conclusion that immigrants could be obtained 
from several of the countries of Northern Europe. Generally 
the Germans, the Scandinavians and the English laborers prefer 
to emigrate to those countries which are already settled by their 
own countrymen. But there is in every nation a considerable 
class who desire change of some kind, and will always be attracted 
to the tropical countries. This class can be reached by our 
agents. Whether these immigrants could be retained in the 
country, alter immigration, is a very serious question. The high 
wages paid on the Pacific Coast will tempt the Northern Euro¬ 
peans away, while the Portuguese would not be disposed to leave. 

There are in Europe large numbers of artisans, tradesmen, and 
manufacturers, who have not been very successful in business, or 
are restless in disposition, or believe that in some distant country 
they will be sure to prosper. Many of these made application to 
Mis Majesty, and also to me, requesting, in nearly every instance, 
that money should be furnished them for payment of passage, 
and promises be made securing them “ lucrative offices ” on arrival 
here I discouraged this kind of immigration. 

I believe it will be difficult, if not impossible to bring into 
these Islands many of the best emigrants belonging to the best 
races. The United States, Canada, Australia and South America 
offer to the most desirable emigrants that which they desire and 
will have, the homestead. The emigrant wishes land, and a fee 
simple tenure. Nothing is so repulsive to him as a tenancy. 
While these other countries are offering great inducements to 
emigrants in the way of abundant and rich lands, at very 
moderate prices, these Islands, or this Kingdom is offering noth¬ 
ing but “ contract labor.” We shall obtain only those who can¬ 
not pay their way to the countries which offer them just what 
3 


18 


they want. It becomes a serious matter in considering the future 
of this Kingdom, that while then; is now a population of about 
60,000 only, and while it is estimated that a population of over 
700,000 may be comfortably supported here, there is little or no 
public land, or land which is subject to immediate entry and occu¬ 
pation by emigrants. I have no doubt that this fact will greatly 
influence the social and political condition of the Kingdom in the 
future. 

On the subject of the immigration of women only, with a view 
of supplying the deficiency of Hawaiian women, I report that 
it is not possible, at present, to obtain women tor that purpose. 
In Japan, there is now a deficiency of women. China does not 
furnish what is needed. In the East Indies, they cannot 
be got, for reasons which I have already given. In the Malay 
countries, it would be impossible to induce them to leave. They 
are Mohammedan, by religion, and will not forsake the people of 
their own faith. Even in the most enlightem d countries, single 
women though in want and misery, at home, seldom emigrate. 
There are a few instances when such women, in considerable 
numbers, have left home for new countries, but in these cases it 
was only to reach the people of a kindred race. It would hardly 
be expected that ignorant women, without knowledge of the ex¬ 
istence of these Islands, their people, customs and language, 
would abandon relatives and friends to enter a distant and foreign 
State to unite in marriage with men of whom they know nothing. 

In view of the fact that the foreign races in this Kingdom owe 
important duties to the Hawaiian race; that every means should 
be adopted to preserve, strengthen and increase it; that the polit¬ 
ical institutions of the country should be so preserved or modified 
as to secure its integrity and perpetuity, I strongly recommend 
that, in introducing immigrants, great care be taken to exclude 
an adventurous, restless, idle or criminal class, which would be the 
first to crowd upon, abuse and injure the Hawaiian people, and in 
the end seriously jeopardize their rights. 

The foregoing report is respectfully submitted 

WM. N. ARMSTRONG, 

Commissioner of Immigration. 
Dated Honolulu, November 7th, 1881. 
















